Just got this email. It sounds like a great opportunity to do some good work….

Dear Activist Filmmakers,

In September 2008 the International Accountability Project and partners convened a Video Advocacy Workshop (VAW) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for activists challenging unjust forced displacement in the name of development.  The workshop was a huge success!  We had 15 participants from 9 countries across Asia, who learned WITNESS’s acclaimed methodology for incorporating video strategically into a human rights campaign (www.witness.org).  Each participant developed a video action plan for their specific advocacy video, which they are now implementing in their home towns.

To support graduates of this workshop, we are pairing them with filmmaker mentors with a passion for social justice.  Mentors are now working with VAW graduates to provide virtual support and advice on completing their videos, in both advocacy and technical dimensions of their projects.  We are seeking 3 more mentors to volunteer a fraction of their time to help VAW graduates move their projects forward.

This is a great opportunity for filmmakers with a commitment to social justice and human rights! If you are interested in mentoring a VAW graduate or want to learn more, please contact the Video Advocacy Workshop Coordinator, Molly Clinehens at vaw@accountabilityproject.org for more details.

Thank you for your interest in using your skills to support a human rights activist!

Sincerely,
Molly Clinehens

FreeSchool Workshop:

How to Put Your Movie on a DVD
(and make it look good!)

Meerkat Media is proud to be co-sponsoring this series of low-cost / free workshops with the awesome folks at UnionDocs. Act fast, this class is for this week!

––––

Time: THURSDAY, November 20 from 7:30 - 9:30pm

Place: UnionDocs is at 322 Union St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Topic: “How to Make a DVD (and make it look good!)”

• Introduction to the iDVD and DVD Studio Pro
• Simple tips to make your DVD menus look great and function well
• Questions and answers from knowledgeable pros

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Facilities: There will be two stations to work from, but if you have a Macintosh laptop, please feel free to bring it.

SUGGESTED DONATION $20. RSVP to workshops@uniondocs.org

Hundreds of independent writers, artists, and activists are claiming
credit for an elaborate project, 6 months in the making, in which 1.2
million copies of a “special edition” of the New York Times were
distributed in cities across the U.S. by thousands of volunteers.

The papers, dated July 4th of next year, were headlined with
long-awaited news: “IRAQ WAR ENDS”. The edition, which bears the same
look and feel as the real deal, includes stories describing what the
future could hold: national health care, the abolition of corporate
lobbying, a maximum wage for CEOs, etc. There was also a spoof site, at
http://www.nytimes-se.com/.
“It doesn’t stop here. We gave Obama a mandate, but he’ll need mandate
after mandate after mandate to do what we elected him to do. He’ll need
a lot of support, and yes, a lot of pressure,” said Andy Bichlbaum,
another project organizer and editor of the paper.

In response to the spoof, the New York Times posted this:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/pranksters-spoof-the-times/

Come check out The Yes Men movie at UnionDocs this Sunday, and afterwards join us for a talk with Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men!!!

THURSDAY, November 20 from 7:30 - 9:30pm UnionDocs, in conjunction with Meerkat Media, will host a basic DVD Studio Pro workshop.

We will introduce the program to you and give a general primer so that you can start making professional looking DVD menus, chapters etc.
Basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro or another editing program is helpful but not necessary.

If you have DVD Studio Pro on your laptop, please feel free to bring it.

$20.00 suggested donation.RSVP to workshops@uniondocs.org

VOTERS: Forget about all those other Election Day parties…we’ve got The Weight, music, face painting, arm wrestling, George Bush pinata, photo ops with your favorite / not so favorite candidate, food, specialty drinks, all to the backdrop of the election results projected on our screen!